Books on the American Civil War for Kids

Civil War Battlefields Come to Life in Nonfiction History Books

Aug 9, 2009

Learn little-known-facts about the War Between the States in these nonfiction books on the American Civil War.

Always a popular subject in U.S. history lessons, the American Civil War has been interpreted and re-interpreted in various ways by historians who always find plenty of perspectives to study this war with.

Now these two new books on the Civil War give kids and American history buffs additional angles on the War Between the States by showcasing little-known inventions used during the war as well as a graphic novel version of the battle and aftermath of Gettysburg.

When most people think of the American Civil War, the terms “aerial surveillance,” “high-powered weapons,” and “submarines” don’t usually come to mind. Yet these military strategies and technologies were all used – with varying degrees of success – during the Civil War, which the authors of Mr. Lincoln’s High-Tech War describe as “the last ancient war, and, at the same time, the first modern war.”

Revealing that Abraham Lincoln was fascinated by the inventions of the Industrial Revolution, the authors show how Lincoln embraced this technology during the Civil War – turning devices such as the telegraph and railroad into weapons that let him keep in constant contact with generals and transport troops more quickly to battles.

Other chapters show how officers trained in Napoleon warfare – which emphasized quick charges and bayonet combat – had difficulty adapting to new firearms like the Spencer rifle that could shoot farther and more accurately. Since soldiers could now shoot from a greater distance, virtually every frontal charge resulted in huge casualties due to the inability of Union and Confederate attackers to gage the firepower of the defenders.

Equally intriguing are the stories of largely forgotten war weapons – like the Union surveillance balloons that floated over battlefields to spy on Confederates, yet were retired after participating in losing battles, or the H.L. Hunley, a Confederate submarine that destroyed a Union ship but killed 25 Confederates in the process.

Overall, Mr. Lincoln’s High-Tech War offers a fascinating view of the Civil War, although the authors' dry tone makes it necessary to re-read the pages several times to take in the information. Moreover, while the authors ultimately congratulate Lincoln’s attitude toward technology, after reading about all the Confederate and Union mishaps, it almost feels like the Union won the war in spite of much of their new technology rather than because of it – revealing an uneasy era capable of creating advanced military hardware but not entirely ready for it.

Artist C.M. Butzer offers a grim and solemn vision of both the Battle of Gettysburg and Lincoln's Gettysburg Address in this graphic novel of the American Civil War.

Basing his grim black-and-white artwork on descriptions of the battlefield found in numerous letters, diaries, and photographs, Butzer conveys a horrific vision of the war that doesn't shy away from showing corpses on the battlefield. While largely told through pictures and not words, when historical figures do speak in this graphic novel, Butzer often quotes their lines directly from his sources.

The graphic novel ends, appropriately enough, with President Abraham Lincoln’s reading of the Gettysburg Address at the Soldiers National Cemetery. Here, Butzer transposes sections of the speech with illustrations of historical events including the signing of the Declaration of Independence, Civil War battles, and later fights for women’s suffrage and gay rights. While this sequence places the address in contexts Lincoln could have not foreseen, it does show how the address has meant different things to various groups.

Upon finishing this book, readers will want to examine the detailed set of Author’s Notes Butzer left that explains where the information for each scene came from. An interesting book for Civil War buffs, this graphic novel can also be of use to teachers and students interested in seeing a different perspective on the War Between the States.

Allen, Thomas B. and Roger Macbride Allen. Mr. Lincoln’s High-Tech War. Washington D.C.: National Geographic Books. 2009. ISBN: 978-1-4263-0379-1

Butzer, C.M. Gettysburg: The Graphic Novel. New York: The Bowen Press. 2009. ISBN: 978-0-06-156176-4

The copyright of the article Books on the American Civil War for Kids in Children's Non-Fiction is owned by Michael Jung. Permission to republish Books on the American Civil War for Kids in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.